Sources: Tarpaulin delays Japanese military communications satellite by two years<snip>The satellite was damaged in a plane’s cargo hold on May 25 after a tarpaulin blocked valves used to equalize its container’s internal air pressure as it descended into thicker atmosphere when landing in French Guiana, according to an internal Japanese government document viewed by Reuters.<snip>

The second Sky Muster™ satellite to be orbited by Arianespace for Australia’s nbn™ arrived in French Guiana this week, taking one of the world’s largest communications platforms one step closer to its October launch aboard a heavy-lift Ariane 5.

Weighing in at 6,400 kg. for liftoff, Sky Muster II will provide additional data capacity to support nbn’s delivery of satellite broadband service – helping bridge Australia’s digital divide for some 400,000 homes and businesses in regional and remote areas of the country.

Sky Muster II was delivered by a chartered Antonov An-124 cargo jetliner, which touched down yesterday at Félix Eboué Airport near the French Guiana capital city of Cayenne. After unloading in its protective shipping container, the satellite was ready for a road trip to the Spaceport launch base.

The October 4 mission – designated Flight VA231 in Arianespace’s launcher family numbering system – follows the company’s lofting of nbn’s first Sky Muster relay platform in September 2015, using another Ariane 5.

Artwork on Ariane 5 for Sky Muster’s Australia coverage

As with last year’s launch, the Ariane 5’s protective payload fairing for Flight VA231 will be decorated with artwork related to the nbn network that will enable communities across Australia to access fast broadband, with the goal of connecting eight million homes and businesses by 2020.

The artwork is a mosaic-style image composed of more than 700 Australians who won nbn’s “Blast Your Face Into Space” competition for the opportunity to include their picture on Arianespace’s workhorse launch vehicle.

On the Ariane 5 used last September with the original Sky Muster satellite, its payload fairing included a drawing from six-year-old student Bailey Brooks, whose school won a contest to name the satellite, submitting “Sky Muster” as the suggestion.

Joining Sky Muster II for Arianespace’s Flight VA231 in October will be India’s GSAT-18 telecommunications satellite, developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). GSAT-18 will have a liftoff mass in the 3,400-kg. category.

GSAT-18 is a communication Satellite configured around I-3K extended bus with a lift off mass of about 3425 kg and 6 KW power generation capacity. The GSAT-18 carries Ku- band, Normal C-band and Extended C-band transponders.

The satellite is scheduled to be launched during First Half of October 2016 onboard Ariane-5 Launch Vehicle.

The Sky Muster™ II high-performance broadband satellite has begun its pre-launch preparations, initiating a process leading to this large spacecraft’s orbiting in October on an Arianespace dual-passenger Ariane 5 mission from French Guiana.

Built by SSL (Space Systems Loral) for Australia’s national broadband network (nbn™), Sky Muster II is in the Spaceport’s S5 payload processing facility, where it underwent a fit-check with the adapter that will serve as the interface when integrated with Ariane 5.

As with nbn’s first Sky Muster satellite – which was launched in September 2015 on another Ariane 5 flight – Sky Muster II is a Ka-band, high-throughput broadband satellite. It will utilize advanced-design multiple spot beams to optimize bandwidth for Australia’s widely-distributed population.

The two Sky Muster relay platforms are designed to deliver nbn’s advanced services for some of the most difficult to reach citizens in Australia, from mainland Australia and Tasmania to the offshore islands.

SSL’s 1300 spacecraft platform for Sky Muster II

Sky Muster II is based on SSL’s 1300 spacecraft platform, and will have a liftoff mass of approximately 6,400 kg. for October’s Ariane 5 mission, which is designated Flight VA231 in the Arianespace launcher family numbering system.

The co-passenger with Sky Muster II on Flight VA231 will be India’s GSAT-18 telecommunications satellite, developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). With a liftoff mass in the 3,400-kg. category, GSAT-18 continues India’s long history of launching its payloads on Ariane vehicles, which dates back to 1981.

PALO ALTO, Calif. – August 31, 2016 — Space Systems Loral (SSL), a leading provider of innovative satellites and spacecraft systems, today announced that its second high performance satellite designed and built for Australia’s national broadband network (nbn™) has arrived at the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, where it will be launched aboard an Ariane 5 launch vehicle by Arianespace. The satellite, called Sky Muster II will be used in conjunction with the first Sky Muster satellite, to provide high-speed broadband service to more than 200,000 Australians.

“It has been very gratifying to work together with our colleagues in Australia to help establish a satellite service that brings high speed internet to underserved users anywhere in Australia,” said John Celli, president of SSL. “SSL is a leader in building broadband satellites that are used for services that improve people’s lives and open new opportunities for education, healthcare and economic development, and we commend the government of Australia for assuring that all of its citizens have this type of access.”

Like the first nbn satellite, also built by SSL and launched last year, Sky Muster II is a Ka-band, high-throughput broadband satellite that uses multiple spot beams in an advanced design that optimizes bandwidth for Australia’s widely distributed population. Together, the two satellites provide advanced services to Australia’s most difficult to reach citizens, including those in mainland Australia and Tasmania, as well as those on offshore islands including Norfolk Island, Christmas Island, Lord Howe Island, Cocos, and Macquarie Island in the Antarctic.

“The Sky Muster™ service is intended to be a game changer for the way people work, learn and live in regional and remote Australia,” said Bill Morrow, chief executive officer of nbn. “SSL has been an excellent partner in the development of our satellites, and the first Sky Muster satellite is operating well. Now we look forward to continuing to work together as we prepare for the launch of the second satellite.”

Sky Muster II is based on the powerful SSL 1300 platform, which provides the flexibility for a broad range of applications and advanced technologies. The SSL 1300 is the world’s leading platform for broadband HTS service.